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The Evangelical Methodist Church

catechism the journey of faith __________

“We should so work as if we were to be saved by our works; And so rely on Jesus Christ, as if we did no works.” —Francis Asbury: God’s Circuit Rider (1745-1816)

The Evangelical Methodist Church

CATECHISM Published by the authority of the 30th General Conference of the Evangelical Methodist Church, held in Indianapolis, Indiana March 12-15, 2010 General Editor: Dr. Edward W. Williamson, General Superintendent Department of Publications Editor: Mrs. Peggy Trim, Deaconess

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission from the Department of Publications. All Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible unless otherwise noted. Printed in USA by 48HrBooks (www.48HrBooks.com)

Evangelical Methodist Church International Headquarters P. O. Box 17070 Indianapolis, IN 46217 Location: 6838 South Gray Road Indianapolis, IN 46237

Additional copies of this publication may be ordered by contacting the Department of Publications at:

Phone: 317-780-8017 Email: publications@emchurch.org www.emchurch.org

Table of Contents Foreword .................................................................................. 6 Lesson 1: Our History and Commitment ............................... 7 Lesson 2: The Articles of Religion ....................................... 15 Lesson 3: A Biblical View of the Scriptures ........................ 39 Lesson 4: A Biblical View of God and Humanity ................. 41 Lesson 5: A Biblical View of Sin and Redemption .............. 47 Lesson 6: A Biblical View of God’s Plan for Salvation ........ 51 Lesson 7: Sanctification ..................................................... 55 Lesson 8: A Biblical View of the Church and the Sacraments ......................................................... 59 Lesson 9: A Biblical View of Eternity .................................. 65 Lesson 10: Missions ............................................................ 69 Lesson 11: Our Government: Congregational and Connectional ............................................... 79 Lesson 12: Membership Responsibility ………. .................... 83 Lesson 13: Membership ...................................................... 89 Membership Covenant ...................................... 90 Appendix A: John Wesley’s The Scripture Way of Salvation A Break-Through Sermon .................................... 91 Appendix B: The Scripture Way of Salvation, John Wesley’s Sermon in Modern English … ............... 99 Appendix C: Explanatory Notes, Evangelical Methodist Articles of Faith ……………………… ................. 113 Appendix D: Basic Denominational Principles .................. …..127 Answers to Lesson Questions ................................................ 129

Forward The General Board of Christian Education congratulates you for taking this step in expanding your knowledge of the basic doctrinal teachings to which the Evangelical Methodist Church adheres. The EMC is Wesleyan in doctrine which promotes purity of heart and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is the desire of this Board that as you embark upon your journey through this study you will come to know the EMC better and appreciate its stand for holiness. While this study perhaps will not answer all your questions, it will serve as a foundation upon which you, as a student, may build your understanding of the Wesleyan tradition. As you work your way through this study, you will not only develop a better understanding of what the EMC is, but also establish personal disciplines of study which will serve you well as you grow in your personal relationship with the Lord. While this study gives you a basic understanding of the EMC, it also gives you information for becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. Another study, Discipleship Training, A Venture in Learning and Accountability offered by the General Board of Christian Education, will help you become more disciplined in your daily walk with the Lord. It will also give you tools to disciple others, thus fulfilling the Great Commission that Jesus gave the Church while it waits for His return. The pastor and lay leaders will enlarge and supplement this material to accommodate their local church mission statement and unique missional ministries. 2010-2014 General Board of Christian Education Members: Rev. Debbie Miller, Chair Rev. Dan Cottrell Dr. William Dean Rev. John Gentry Mr. Benoit Kitenge Rev. Robert Perkins Rev. Daniel Stiles

esson 5 A Biblical View of Sin and Redemption

SIN From the first book of the Bible, Genesis, we learn that God created the world, the universe and everything in it. In the process, He created mankind in his own image; male and female. The man was called Adam because he was the first; the woman was called Eve because she would become the mother of all the living (Genesis 3:20). He placed them in a garden and told them that they could eat from every part of the garden except one tree, the tree of knowledge of good and evil. God’s first order to them was disobeyed by their eating of this tree from which God had told them not to eat. This one act broke the fellowship they shared with God. As a result of this disobedience, God put Adam and Eve out of the garden. This act of disobedience to God put the whole human race under the curse of what is called sin. The end result of sin is death. The story is told in chapter 3, verses 1-7 of Genesis and is mentioned throughout much of the Old and New Testament. From that day until now all of humanity has been placed in a sinful condition and is prone to do what displeases God. The special original creation of man in God’s image and likeness, and the willful disobedience through which man became fallen and tragically lost apart from God’s redeeming grace, is the state of all humankind. In the Old Testament the word sin comes from a word that means offense; in the New Testament the word sin speaks of missing the mark and not sharing in the prize (Romans 5:12-21). Jesus described what comes out of the heart of every human being: “For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matthew 15:19). What is the solution to the problem of sin? What can change the rebelliousness of the heart of man towards God? There has to be an answer somewhere. The answer has to come from a higher being than humans. God has to provide a plan for the saving of man from a sinful, rebellious state.

In the Old Testament, it is recorded that man was disobedient to God. And God introduced His plan for the redemption of mankind, the offering of bulls and goats that were put on altars and their blood sprinkled over them. Their lives were given for the sins of the people. The purpose of the offering of blood sacrifices was to prepare mankind for what was to come, and to move from the law to grace. The perfect and ultimate offering was to be God’s Son, Jesus Christ, who came to earth to offer himself as a sacrifice on the cross. “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). REDEMPTION, SALVATION Jesus Christ’s death on the cross not only paid the price for our redemption, but also provided the believer with many benefits here on earth as well as in heaven. In the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus, he mentions the position of the Christian that is evident in salvation. This position is not something that you can see with the naked eye, but is a position that is appointed by God to the believer by faith. It is a spiritual position. “...because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,...” (Ephesians 2:4-6). The Christian now has a position in heaven while he is here on earth. This is received by grace through faith in Jesus’ death on the cross. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God...” (Ephesians 2:8). The gospel that brings us salvation is mentioned by Paul to the Corinthian church “...that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures...” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). In Peter’s first general letter, he speaks plainly and simply about Jesus and his taking away our sins. “He (Jesus) himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24).

Lesson 5 â€“ REVIEW Biblical View of Sin and Redemption 1.

What was the one thing that caused a curse upon Godâ€™s people?

A plan of ______________________was given to take away the sin of man.

_____________________is the perfect sacrifice for our sin.

—N O T E S—